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A cozy, comforting Ragu Lasagna simplified to come together quickly and with minimal ingredients. This lasagna without bechamel sauce is instead packed full of cheese, an ultra-savory short rib ragu and boiled lasagna noodles. An elegant classic made approachable!
Traditional Beef Lasagna Made Simple
Here’s what we’ve got going on–a Lasagna al Ragu that uses my insanely delicious braised Beef Short Rib Ragu. Now, add making the ragu into the process and it does become somewhat of a project. But, good news, I’ve got a top of options to make it weeknight friendly whether that’s prepping components ahead of time or swapping in a shortcut sauce.
Plus, instead of requiring a homemade bechamel sauce—which dirties many more dishes and requires cooking on the stove top—my recipe streamlines the process by using a cheese mixture made of fresh mozzarella, Parmesan, ricotta and cream. No cooking required.
And while we’re in the market of quality food made realistic, there are some shortcuts that just aren’t worth the time it saves. This lasagna isn’t overly “loose,” so I don’t recommend using oven-ready lasagna. Use dry lasagna noodles and boil them before assembling. If you have oven-ready noodles to use up, make this veggie-packed Lasagna recipe with cottage cheese).
Ingredients Needed
A full ingredient list, with measurements, can be found in the recipe card below.
- Dried lasagna noodles: use regular lasagna noodles (with the ripply edges), not oven-ready lasagna noodles. They add a nice chewy texture.
- Homemade beef short rib ragu: this lasagna recipe was born out of needing to use up leftover beef ragu. So that’s the recipe I recommend using. You can substitute with a jarred sauce, though I recommend adding some cooked ground beef to the sauce. And keep in mind, it will likely be a wetter or looser sauce than my ragu which could cause the lasagna to be looser as well.
- Fresh mozzarella: you’ll need two to three large balls of fresh mozzarella. The moisture and meltability is important for achieving a creamy, melty texture. If you use block mozzarella, increase the amount of cream a bit.
- Parmesan: get a block of Parmesan and grate it yourself using a microplane (preferred) or large hole grater (back-up option).
- Whole-milk ricotta: you want a creamy, decadent lasagna? Use whole milk ricotta. Low-fat or part skim is a bit grainier.
- Heavy cream: this loosens up the cheese mixture so it melts into an even layer during baking. Don’t substitute it with milk.
- Garlic: a couple cloves of fresh garlic is ideal here. They get grated into the cheese mixture for a punch of garlicky flavor. Alternatively, you can use garlic powder. Start with 1 teaspoon and adjust to taste from there.
- Red pepper flakes: for a kick of heat to round out the flavors. I only add a ½ teaspoon so definitely increase that if you like it spicier!
- Dried oregano: seasons the cheese mixture with a warm earthiness.
How to Make and Assemble
- Cook the lasagna noodles to al dente—just use the package instructions. Drain the lasagna noodles and arrange them on a baking sheet until you’re ready to assemble.
- Mix up the cheese mixture by combining the mozzarella, ricotta, parmesan, garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.
- Start assembling—spread a cup of the pasta sauce in the bottom of a 9×13-inch pan. Arrange a layer of cooked lasagna noodles over the sauce (try not to overlap too much).
- Then top with more sauce and a quarter of the cheese mixture. It will be tricky to spread the cheese mixture, but do your best using an offset spatula or rubber spatula. It doesn’t have to be perfect since it’ll melt in the oven. Arrange another layer of noodles over top and repeat the layering process with the sauce and cheese mixture for a total of 4 layers.
- Finish the layering by arranging a layer of noodles over top and sprinkle torn mozzarella and grated parmesan over top. Cover the dish with aluminum foil then place the dish on a baking sheet (this will catch any grease drippings).
- Bake the lasagna until the sauce is bubbling, about 25 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking until the top is deeply golden brown and the edges are crispy, about 30 more minutes.
equipment Needed
Test Kitchen Tips
- Shredding fresh mozzarella is nearly impossible. Which is why I recommend tearing it into bite-sized pieces instead. In addition to being easier to prep, it also creates little puddles or chewy, melty mozzarella throughout the lasagna.
- I have tested this recipe many times and have had great luck with half batches. So if you don’t have 5 cups of ragu leftover, simply make a half batch by halving all of the ingredients and using an 8×8-inch baking dish.
Storing Leftovers and Reheating
The beauty of lasagna is that it gets better with age (just like Korean beef stew with short ribs). If you plan to enjoy the leftovers within the week, simply cover the baking dish with plastic wrap (or a lid if your baking dish has a lid) and store it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
For longer storage, transfer the lasagna to storage containers or wrap in parchment paper and foil, and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To reheat lasagna, transfer the amount you plan to eat to an oven-safe glass dish and warm in a 300ºF (149ºC) oven and heat until warmed through, 10–15 minutes. In a pinch, you can reheat it in the microwave, just be sure to cover it so it doesn’t splatter. I don’t recommend reheating on the stove top.
What to Serve with It
I like to keep the side dish easy and classic—a Garden Salad with iceberg lettuce or from-scratch Caesar Salad are all you need.
A fruit salad would also be great. Anything citrus works well because it’ll cut through the decadent lasagna. Try my Citrus Salad with peanuts and sumac or dress some spring greens with this zippy Lemon Vinaigrette made with dill.
For dessert, I prefer something cold and vibrant here, no-churn Mango Sorbet fits the bill.
Ragu Lasagna without Bechamel Sauce
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Ingredients
- 16 ounces dried lasagna noodles
- 5 cups short rib ragu, or store-bought sauce, lightly warmed
- 1¾ pounds fresh mozzarella torn into ½-inch pieces, divided
- 1½ cups freshly grated Parmesan, divided
- 16 ounces (2 cups) whole-milk ricotta
- ⅔ cup heavy cream
- 2 garlic cloves, finely grated
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F (218ºC) with rack set in middle position.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season generously with salt, then add 1 pound lasagna noodles and cook according to package until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- Measure out and set aside 1 cup mozzarella and ½ cup Parmesan and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine remaining mozzarella and Parmesan, 16 ounces ricotta, ⅔ cup cream, 2 grated garlic cloves, 2 teaspoons oregano, ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, 2 teaspoons kosher salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper.
- Spread 1 cup ragu in bottom of a 9X13-inch baking dish. Top with a layer of noodles (avoid heavy overlapping, though some is inevitable). Top with 1 cup of sauce and dollop a heaping cup of cheese mixture over top; carefully spread into an even layer. Top with another layer of noodles and repeat three more times, ending with noodles (you may have some noodles left over).
- Sprinkle reserved 1 cup mozzarella and ½ cup Parmesan evenly over top.
- Cover loosely with aluminum foil; place baking dish on a baking sheet and transfer to oven. Bake until sauce is bubbling up around edges, 25–30 minutes. Carefully remove foil and continue baking until lasagna is golden brown on top with crisp edges, 35–45 minutes longer. Let cool slightly before slicing and serving.
Notes
Nutrition
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Once the ragu is made this is a quick and easy recipe for an amazing delicious dinner!
Agreed, the ragu takes the longest! So glad you and the fam enjoyed the lasagna! 🙂